Customer Reviews

Bodies and Souls: The Century Project

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Bodies and Souls is the long-awaited publication of Frank Cordelle's The Century Project. Although numerous books present womanhood in picture and word (Laurie Toby Edison's Women En Large and Wise Women by Joyce Tenneson come to mind), Bodies and Souls is perhaps the most successful to date in giving you a strong sense of who the women (from birth to age 94 so far) are and the pain and joys they've experienced.

Each entry consists of a nude photograph of a brave female and her personal statement in the form of prose, poetry, or both. In some cases, Cordelle provides the text or supplements it with his own observations. Many of the participants share their pain and joys. You will find the insecure, the joyful (a pregnant mother stands out here), cutters, cancer survivors, rape and abuse survivors, and many others from various races and walks of life. The pictures are certainly worth more than a thousand words, and the personal statements provide important context for the scars, tears, smiles, and sometimes amusing facial expressions and body language seen therein. Some of their comments and advice for living are priceless. Cordelle has done a remarkable job of opening a window into these inspiring women's souls.

I highly recommend this book to anyone (female or male) concerned with issues of self image and body image. This should prove an invaluable resource to counselors and those struggling to regain footing after a physical or emotional trial.

I went to Frank Cordelle's exhibit in my hometown with more than a touch of skepticism- a man photographing females nude? Expecting to see Playboy (and worse) I was never so grateful to be wrong. I am a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, rape and anorexia. What I saw in these photos brought me a sense of community among women and a decidedly human view of who and what we are. Frank shows an innate respect and understanding of these women. No pity, no pedestals and no pretense. Real females at all stages of life brave enough to show the rest of us who they are- who WE are. Sometimes sad, sometimes angry, sometimes hurt, sometimes weak,sometimes funny and sometimes strong. I have the book and have shown it to many people now. Each and every one came away from the experience with alot to think about. My 12 year old "step daughter" spent a couple of hours poring over the photos and reading about the women. She immediately "got it" that this book is about the real beauty within us all. This book is the antidote to all of the airbrushed perfectionism expected of women in our culture. If you are a woman, this is what you need to see. If you are a man, this book will give you an insight never before shown about women.

This project is of such importance that I can't believe it's received such a lack of publicity. Cordelle's 25 year journey has brought life to so many people, it's a shame more people haven't seen it. The fact that it's taken him so long to get this work published just goes to show how far American society has to go in terms of people being accepted as they are and feeling comfortable with who they are and what they look like and not feeling like they have to compare themselves to the images of thin people we see everyday on magazines and in the media in general.
We are out here and we are not being represented.

This particular book caught my eye because of the elegance and beauty of an older woman on the cover of
a local newspaper. She was naked, but covered herself up in a beautiful natural way. I went on to read about
the author, who sounds as if he came from the 70's and never left. Good for him. Frank Cordelle. He still
likes hottubs and naked frank discussion. His gathering of different kinds of women, different ages, different
ethnicities, different experiences-some of them very horrifying, showed that they are survivors, and wanted
their story told. He helped them tell it, and their naked bodies were just the preface, earthly shell of their
lives. I immediately sent a copy to my sister-in-law, because she was the only one in my family who would
understand this. She did, and was grateful. I'm grateful that this book was finally understood and published.

I've seen Frank Cordelle's The Century Project in a couple of shows in different parts of the country, and am delighted to see this stellar photographic sequence finally in a quality book format. There are many (probably far too many) books featuring images of naked women, but BODIES AND SOULS stands apart as an honest portrayal of the varied, glorious, and sometimes tragic curves life sets before women, and how so many of them accelerate out of such curves with power and grace. Those two charcteristics are not evident from the images alone--although I suspect that by themselves they will give women a new sense of pride in their gender--but more from the short written accounts each girl and woman gives of the joys and ordeals she has gone through in life, and sometimes in posing nude for the camera here.

Make no mistake--Bodies and Souls is an immensely powerful book, precisely because women are capable of the most amazing things. Frank Cordelle has done the impossible--broken new ground. To my way of thinking, this is THE most significant book of nude photography ever done--bar none.

Bodies and Souls is not a book to be thumbed through. You need to sit and look at each photograph separately, and read the accompanying description, most written by the women themselves, to get the full impact. Lives were changed--even saved--by what's contained within this book's covers.

A few of the photographs are of the same model twice, at different ages. Even so, there is a good span of ages in Bodies and Souls. Frank, in the section "Behind the Century Project," admits that he intends to do a second book, indicating that this project is a work-in-progress.

Take the time to absorb what's inside Bodies and Souls. Allow yourself to smile, to laugh, to feel anger--to cry. Then...rejoice that Frank thought up The Century Project and found the women he needed to make it happen. DO NOT fail to get this book. It will be the best $40 you ever spent.

I have never written a review even though I read constantly. This book inspired me to share my thoughts.

I'm an open person both with myself and in how I view the world and the people in it. It takes a lot to shock me.

I was shocked when I first started looking through these pages. I had to put it down and didn't pick it back up for a week. Confused as to why I was feeling that way, I looked at a few more pages, then put it back down - until today.

I studied each and every picture and story. I realized I was shocked initially because I saw me in all these women. I was looking at my naked flawed body and soul displayed on all those pages; something I have tried desperately to hide my whole life.

At age 40 I am happily living a continent away from the Mid-west girl insecurities about my body and all the shame my church, family and community led me to feel while I was growing up. But it quickly came rushing back when I first started to look at the pictures. I had accepted my past and moved on, but not until this moment was I able to let go of the shame and love my body just as it is. Cellulite, scars, saggy breasts, stretch marks and all.

PLEASE get this book. If you feel shocked at first, let it sit a bit and think to yourself why it is hard to look at. Share it with your family and friends. Talk about it with your daughters and your sons. My 17-year old son will have a greater understanding of me and of women. May he pass it on.

To know a woman is to know her soul. Anything less is unacceptable. In Bodies and Souls: The Century Project, you get to do just that. Woman who have overcome the stereotypical view of what women should look like proudly bare all. To be able to show off your body and give the world a glimpse into your soul, no matter what perceived imperfections might exist, IS ABSOLUTE PERFECTION. Buy a copy for yourself and a few more for all the women in your life. A true triumph of the human spirit.

I've seen most of the images in this book in person and I can't express how important this book is. America and a lot of the rest of the planet are woman-hating places to be. We always hear the phrase that people come in all shapes, colors and sizes, but this book will show you the beauty that exists in all shapes, colors and sizes.

This is not the kind of book with pictures of naked women that most men get interested in. This volume is not about sex, though it clearly deals with sexuality. Frank Cordelle's photos of naked women, at various ages and stages of life, serves as a kind of anti-porn - showing women for who they really are, as opposed to who society thinks they should be. There are some tragic stories and some wonderful stories in this book. It serves as a good reminder of who humanity was created to be. Those who struggle with body image will find this book a healing balm. Those who champion the innocence of simple, non-sexual nudity will find a friend in Frank Cordelle.